Pan American Silver operates two mines in Mexico.
At each of these two operations we maintain a positive relationship with the local communities or "Ejidos" which have become both our hosts and to a large extent, our source of local employees, supplies and resources. Pan American's community relations initiatives in Mexico include:
At Alamo Dorado, Minera Corner Bay provides year-round health support to residents of the communities around the mine. The Company carries out several "Health Days" where health practitioners from the nearby communities of Alamos, Navojoa and Hermosillo provide medical consultations, laboratory exams and follow-up care to patients. On average, approximate 800 individuals are treated annually.
At La Colorada, Plata Panamericana refurbished one of the local daycares with a new fence, remodeled bathrooms and new paint throughout the building. In addition, the Company upgraded the bathrooms of the primary school in the community of Orion.
At Alamo Dorado, Minera Corner Bay improved the education infrastructure by servicing air conditioning units at several schools to maintain them cool in the sweltering heat of the Sonora dessert and by carrying out several ongoing maintenance repairs. Corner Bay also awards scholarships for students of several communities to attend high school in nearby cities and supports local students who are selected to participate in regional knowledge contests and other educational competitions.
Minera Corner Bay supports the communities around the Alamo Dorado mine with drought-mitigation activities like the construction of dams, the rehabilitation of the water system and drilling water wells. These communities also require support during the rainy season, when Corner Bay helps by providing machinery to assist in cleaning or plowing the land and sowing seeds.
At La Colorada, Plata Panamericana takes care of the ongoing maintenance of access dirt roads in the areas closest to the mine. The Company also teams up with the nearby community to repair existing infrastructure. Plata Panamericana recently supplied building materials to repair rain damaged family houses and paint to maintain the church's façade.